Mountain Laurel Bed and Breakfast (Lesbian owned and operated), is located in the mountains southeast of Asheville, NC. We have 10 acres to roam, with walking trails, mountain views, and lots of privacy. All the rooms are large, with king beds, and private baths,

There is an expansive deck under the sun or stars for tanning or gazing. We have a great selection of videos and books to entertain you if you want to relax and chill out. There is a satellite TV in several of the rooms and the common living room for your enjoyment, and wireless internet is available.

If you are up for action, you can go whitewater rafting, hiking or horseback riding (both only an hour away), go tubing on numerous nearby rivers, stroll through Historic Biltmore House, or shop for hours in Asheville’s many and varied shops.

After a day of tripping about you can relax on the deck with your drink as you watch the sun set. We’ll supply the glasses and ice; also mints on your pillow.

Breakfast will be cooked by your hostess and chef, Lyssa. You can choose from selections such as: Blueberry Pancakes*, Pecan Waffles, Eggs Benedict, or Omelets, along with fresh fruit, coffee, and juice. The entire menu is on the website. We also cater to special requests and occasions.

MTV’s LOGO has nominated LAN Airlines for the coveted “Best Airline” award in their second annual TripOut Gay Travel Awards. LAN Airlines is the only non-U.S. airline to be nominated for this accolade. American Airlines, Delta, Jet Blue, Southwest and Virgin America are also nominated.

LAN Airlines Marketing Communications Manager, Megan Kat, was excited about the airline’s monumental nomination. “LAN Airlines is honored to be the only non-U.S. airline nominated for ‘Best Airline’ in Logo’s second annual TripOut Gay Travel Awards. LAN is South America’s leading international airline, offering award-winning service to and within South America from its gateways in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and Toronto.”

Kat continued, “LAN provides extensive service to the top destinations in South America for LGBT travelers, including Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Santiago, Sao Paulo and Lima, as well as more exotic tourist destinations such as Iguazu Falls, Easter Island, Cuzco/Machu Picchu and the Galapagos. LAN is also a proud and active supporter of several important LGBT organizations, including IGLTA, NGLCC, IGLCC and San Francisco Pride.”

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“Did the earth move for you?” became the most popular joke in Christchurch . It moved for us all. It shook, rocked and rolled us as we clung to the nearest man or door frame if you hadn’t got lucky that night.

It was 4.35am on 4th September 2010. I had two guests from Auckland at my B&B, Christchurch Gaystay . While Christchurch is close to the faultline, earthquakes are unlikely in Auckland on the North Island.

Suddenly our beds started shaking violently.

There was crashing and banging as vases and wine on shelves fell to the ground. We lept out of bed and clung to door frames which are supposed to be the strongest part of a house. We were all naked but the power had gone off and we could not see each other . “My willy is being swung by the earthquake” yelled Mike so he grabbed his Calvins to contain the pendulum .

“Please!” I yelled to anyone who might turn off the shaking. I expected any minute for my house to fall like a pack of cards. 30, 45, 60 seconds? Who knows? It stopped and the house seemed to sway back on an even keel, as if the storm at sea at suddenly stopped.

In the dark I found my way downstairs and the door to the lounge would not open, but it was impeded only by a broken bottle of wine. “A cheap red”, I sighed. Red wine making its way across the tiles towards the wool carpet. So I grabbed my massage towells and threw them over glass and alcohol and began the clean up. As the boys upstairs still clung to each other or a door frame I cleaned up then found some broken family heirloom Doulton plates in pieces.

The electricity was dead so we used gas to boil water and have a cup of coffee. A bicycle light was the only light we had till I lit the candle sticks. I found a transistor radio so we sat over it like the family in Woody Allen’s Radio Days, listening to the news. It emerged that 80 buildings in town were destroyed.

Thousands of chimneys had crashed down on to house rooves. New faultlines snaked across the countryside , not respecting anything in their paths, breaking apart houses and gardens, opening great cracks in the land. Grey mud began bubbling to the surface, liquefaction, a new word to us, the cause of this. Water pipes and sewer pipes broke and their contents flowed in to the street and rivers . We are proud of the cleanliness of our rivers and streams and now they were flowing a muddy brown, contaminated.

The news kept coming. Houses split in two, verandas dropped to the side walks, restaurant walls fell on to the street. Historic buildings, earthquake proofed years ago had parapets and spires at strange angles . People stepped out of their front doors and into 5 feet of water where their path was a minute ago. They hugged each other and cried at the loss of their beloved home.

We sat at home as dawn arrived, wondering what to do. Eight hours later we had electricity again. some had never lost power, some still do not have it several days later .

We began to feel a warmth for each other, that we had survived. Miraculously the news told us that no one had died. Building standards had proved to be important. Haiti’s earthquake was the same magnitude.

We had to get out of the house so walked around the area and found great cracks in roadways, mud and sewerage bubbling up. I went to a friend’s house and found him shovelling mud, so joined him in barrowing it to the roadway. His house had cracks inside and out and his back door would not open.

It was the weekend so no one went to work as we cleaned up our houses, wondering when the next after-shock would scare us. Power and water came back on so we could watch the TV images of our town, images people around the world had seen before we had.

Things are returning to normal, the central business district was closed for a couple of days as the safety of buildings was assessed. But many people are not allowed to return to homes, some are sleeping in school halls until temporary accommodation can be found. 2000 houses are uninhabitable. The city has 330,000 residents.

Aftershocks occurred for some days, including several at 5.4 magnitude.

Texts, phone calls and emails arrived from around the world, former guests inquiring about me and my house.

Bulldozers are knocking over the remains of old buildings, mainly old brick buildings, built 100-150 years ago without a thought for an earthquake. Meetings are being held trying to set architectural standards for the rebuilding of shops and houses.

The last major earthquake in NZ occurred in 1931 in Napier on the North Island of NZ. 256 people died and the central city had just 4 buildings standing . As it was rebuilt in the art deco era many of the buildings are a tourist attraction these days, and there is an annual Art Deco Festival. So, out of the ashes grew a city with a different emphasis and character. We hope the same happens here. 80% of the business district is undamaged so not affected to the extent of the Napier earthquake. TV loves to present the extremes, so it looks worse to viewers than it actually is.

Spring is here and daffodils, magnolias and rododendruns are defying the eathquake and brightening us up

You can see pics of the affects of the quake by googling Christchurch Earthquake.

My business Christchurch Gaystay is still open for business. www.gaystay.co.nz/chchgaystay . I hope people will still come to Christchurch and New Zealand. My B&B caters for gay and lesbian travellers . It is 10 minutes walk from downtown . It costs $60 for a single traveller. That includes breakfast and broadband. $95 is the rate for a couple.

Napier accommodation can be found on www.gaystay.co.nz. There are 85 gay owned B&Bs on that site around New Zealand

Vanuatu will be one of your always-remembered, true paradise destinations. Many savvy travelers are exuding “diamond in the rough, smiles from everyone, unspoiled, tropical forests, many active volcanoes and remarkable cultural diversity.” When do we leave?

Another advantage — it takes a while to get there, so as with the Maldives, Reunion Island, Darwin, Sri Lanka, Zanzibar and many other places on our globe, most of your friends and family haven’t been there. During World War Two, the islands inspired James Michener to write Tales of the South Pacific. Then came the play and the film.

Words he wrote as a young lieutenant in Santos – “Coconut palms nodding gracefully toward the ocean, Reefs upon which waves broke into spray and inner lagoons, lovely beyond description. I wish I could tell you about the sweating jungle, and that full moon raising behind the volcanoes.”

Magical — Located at the intersection of 4th Ave and Dolores St, in the heart of California’s Central Coast village of Carmel-By-The-Sea, this Boutique Inn and Spa Studio has earned its place as the most magical Boutique Inn on the Monterey Bay Peninsula. Located amongst Carmel’s finest restaurants, unique shopping and well-known art galleries, just blocks from the famous white sand of Carmel Beach and Pebble Beach.

The central stone courtyard, overflowing with flowers and dominated by an ancient oak and cascading waterfall have inspired writers and composers since the 1920s. Named for Don Blanding’s poem of the 1920’s (Vagabond’s House appeared in the best selling novel Drifter’s Gold which was written while living on the property) the inn houses a collection of antique clocks, toys and books, some of which come from Buffalo Bill Cody’s personal childhood collection.

Accommodations include extraordinarily charming guest rooms with fireplaces and hardwood floors. Each unique room achieves a distinctive ambience through a combination of elegance, tradition and fine art. Breakfast is delivered to your room each morning and includes organic locally grown and vine ripened fruits, French pastries, organic eggs and more.

Unwind at this Oceanfront Romantic 2 story Private Balinese Guest House, surrounded in the natural ambiance of Kehena Beach Estates. This Jewel of the Big Island of Hawaii is tucked alongside the South East Puna coastline. Break away from the hustle and bustle of your routine and lose yourself in the serenity of our Island and all it has to offer & enjoy blissful ocean breezes and relaxation beyond compare!

This romantic getaway offers spectacular 170 degree ocean front view of our Hawaiian coastline, and is the closest place to stay you will find to our famous Kehena Clothing Optional Black Sand Beach. Less than a 1 min. walk is a cliffside trail that leads directly to a breathtaking black-sand beach hideaway, home to spinner dolphins, humpback whales during the winter season, and countless sea turtles. Kehena Beach is only 200 ft. away!

Sit outside on the lanai and enjoy your favorite beverage, while passing cruise ships pass by in the moonlit coastline right before you.

Belgrano is a traditional and special neighborhood of Buenos Aires, which combines houses dating from the end of the 19th Century with newer buildings and facilities. You will appreciate this delightful contrast.

Formerly it was a place of great houses belonging to wealthy people. Some of them are still very important houses. “Caserón de Tejas” and “Bajo Belgrano” are tango compositions that refer to these homes. A good number of them have been converted into embassies and schools The rest are still family houses. Many of these houses have been replaced by modern buildings of up to 36 floors!

It’s a neighborhood with tradition and history; walking through the tree-lined streets, you can enjoy monuments, museums, bookstores and really interesting and beautiful places.

The influence of a wide range of immigrant groups can be seen in Belgrano’s many places of worship: Jewish synagogues, Buddhist temples, and churches of all denominations—Anglican, Evangelical, and, of course, Catholic. Particularly noteworthy is La Redonda, “the round” church near the plaza, museums, shops and banks in the very center of Belgrano.

There are many bilingual schools that respond to different nationalities. This is also reflected in the restaurants. You can enjoy not only pizza, but also Japanese, Thai, Italian, French, German, Peruvian and Chinese food, the latter not only in Chinatown. Belgrano’s China town, located near the train station, is a destination in itself. Unlike many immigrant ghettos, where foreign influences predominate and the local culture is nowhere to be seen, in this unique neighborhood all cultures coexist in harmony.

There are numerous gourmet restaurants and grills where you can enjoy excellent argentine steaks.

To the east, a walk through parks and avenues leads to a section of the University of Buenos Aires and, with a few more steps, to the memorial for the 30,000 persons missing in the years of dictatorship. And on the coastal avenue there is a selection of Argentina food restaurants from whose dining rooms and patios you can appreciate the immensity of the Rio de la Plata.

Several transport lines in Avenida Cabildo connect Belgrano with the rest of the city. Buses, the “D” line subway, and trains from the “Barrancas de Belgrano Park”; they all go to the main places you will surely want to see.

There are many sports clubs, gyms, swimming pools which offer convenient temporary memberships. The parks are within walking distance. Many local people jog or do Aerobics around the lake or bicycle, roller skate, etc. The streets are busy at all hours of day and night. It is a safe neighborhood.Belgrano is a city it itself.

Tango Bed and Breakfast, located in an Art Deco house dated from the 1920s, is cozy, comfortable, with modern facilities and well suited for families.

The owners of this unique establishment are Valeria, a professor of Physical Education and Eutony and Jorge, an artist who draws and paints.
Both are wine lovers who have toured vineyards in Europe, USA and of course all Argentina. With them you may participate in Argentine wine tastings, get advice for traveling in the country, restaurants, wines, etc. For sure you will enjoy the company of interesting guests and some times the typical Argentine barbecue offered and prepared by the owners.

As Republicans in disguise no doubt skulk around the halls trying to recruit them, gays from all over the place will converge on a Travelodge-turned-Red-Cross-homeless-shelter on 42nd Street, which managing partner Ian Reisner and company are turning into “a gay urban resort” with the word “out” spelled by its windows.

You heard me! The façade of the building will have window configurations that say “OUT” with even more clarity than a male cheerleader on energy drinks. This is getting gayer than a Kylie Minogue concert in Fort Lauderdale on the first night of the U.S. Open.

The Out NYC complex—scheduled for next fall—will include the Axel Hotel (part of a world chain), stores, a café, a restaurant, a shiny new club called the xl Dance Bar, and everything else but a bookstore. The creators want to pack gays upon gays together for eating, drinking, shopping, and sleeping (together, if possible), but the place is also admittedly “hetero-friendly,” and that’s a good thing; otherwise, it might be totally illegal.

As you enter the front door of this enchanting log home, the warmth of its embrace will welcome you. The aroma of freshly baked cookies, homemade granola, breads and muffins will transport you to a magical place.

Find Serenity in our award winning inn. The main log home has one guest suite. Stroll through the passion vine covered arbor to our charming carriage house with seven additional “country elegant” guest rooms.

Please join us for wine and hor d’oeuvres in the early evening and “killer” chocolate chip cookies and cold milk before bedtime. Each morning a delicious full breakfast awaits you in our Garden Room.

So much to do! Savor the cuisine of Cambria’s fine restaurants and the area’s internationally recognized wine region. Discover the numerous art galleries, antique shops and gift stores in the east and west villages. Tour the remarkable Hearst Castle. Spend the day experiencing the beauty and tranquility of the countryside. Walk along the shoreline and visit tide pools or watch the fascinating elephant seals, sea otters and whales. Hike, bike or kayak. For additional fun – check out our specials.

The 1905 Hoyt House Bed and Breakfast Inn is your exclusive small hotel destination for the perfect blend of romantic elegance, comfort and hospitality. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and fine amenities of this extraordinary Amelia Island Inn located in the Historic District of the seaside town of Fernandina Beach, Florida.

Just steps away from marvelous restaurants, every variety of clever boutique, and antiques of every kind. Come for a day, a weekend, or as long as you like–get away, get refreshed, get recharged and relearn how to relax again.

Now is the perfect time to visit our charming island retreat. From luxurious guest rooms to perfectly conceived and presented breakfasts, Hoyt House is more than a bed and breakfast–it stands apart as a unique small hotel on a most unique island–Amelia Island.

Come for a romantic getaway, restful weekend, unforgettable honeymoon, or to simply celebrate the special occasion of relaxing together.